CAMMPUS LOVE

A few weeks later, Clara and Emmanuel found themselves on opposite sides of a conversation they had never expected to have.

It started as something small—a disagreement over a forgotten dinner reservation, but it quickly spiraled.

"I just don't understand why you didn't check your schedule before we made plans!" Clara said, her voice shaky but frustrated. "You know how important it was to me."

"I'm sorry, okay? I messed up. I should've double-checked," Emmanuel replied, his voice strained, but softer. "I didn't think it would be a big deal. It wasn't like I meant to forget."

"I know, but it feels like you never prioritize me when things come up!" Clara's eyes were glistening with frustration. "It's like I'm not important enough."

Emmanuel flinched at the words. "That's not true, Clara. You are important to me."

Her heart raced, her emotions flaring. She didn't want to feel this way, didn't want to argue with him, but the distance between them felt too big.

"Then why does it feel like you keep slipping away?" she asked softly, her voice breaking.

The silence between them felt too heavy. Emmanuel reached out to her, his hand trembling. But before he could say anything, his phone buzzed.

It was a text.

Vanessa's name flashed on the screen.

Clara saw it, and for a split second, her heart sank. She quickly looked away, feeling the sharp sting of insecurity. Why does she always find a way to be in the middle of everything?

Vanessa knew exactly what she was doing. She watched from the edges, waiting for moments like this—moments where Emmanuel would feel vulnerable. And when she texted him, it wasn't just a casual hello. It was a reminder that she was still there, that she still wanted what she couldn't have.

She didn't tell Clara this, of course. But when she saw their connection growing, she also saw the cracks beginning to show. The tension between them was like music to her ears.

And for now, she would wait.